Sean Nowak was born to run—and to lead.

As captain of the men’s cross country team, the supply chain management major has worked hard to leave his mark on UM-Dearborn. For example, prior to the start of the season, Nowak took extra initiative to connect with his teammates by organizing one-on-one running sessions.

“I traveled to most of their hometowns to run a typical route they would take to learn more about their personality and goals entering college,” said Nowak, noting that many on the team were first- or second-year runners for the university.

His leadership in athletics has been recognized both locally and nationally. On campus, he serves as the team’s representative in the Emerging Leaders Council—which meets monthly to participate in activities designed to raise awareness for sporting events on campus—and was named the team’s Best Teammate. And the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics named him a Champion of Character and a National Scholar Athlete.

“Sean set the team bar in regards to work ethic, dedication, leadership and character,” said cross country Coach Joseph Horka. “He is one of those rare people who just makes everyone around him better, including me.”

In addition to his athletic pursuits, the transfer student has been actively involved in the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. As the professional committee chair, he helped plan a networking event for students on campus. And as recruitment chair and pledge educator, he helped triple the pledge class size two consecutive semesters.

Reflecting on his leadership on campus, Nowak said, “I have done my best to leave a lasting impact in each of the organizations I have led, which has included more tight-knit social interaction, goal orientation and increased positivity.”